Ore-separator



E. B. HOOVER.

ORE SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, 1918.

1,317,790. Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

3 m/e nror [HG/7f? 5. #00086 By G1 H'orneg IAPII cm, WASHINGTON. rx C.

EDGAR 13. HOOVER, or rnsoo, WASHINGTON.

ORE-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

Application filed October 29, 1918. Serial No. 260,086.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR B. HOOVER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Pasco, in the county of Franklin and i tate of WVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ore separators and hasfor its object to provide a means whereby the saving of fine gold maybe accomplished, i. (2., by separating the black sand and fine gold from the lighter sand and gravel.

With this and other objects in View the invention consists of certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter explained. I

That the invention may be better understood reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan, with drum'and revolving griddle removed; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view.

Referring specifically to the drawings the numeral 1 represents the sluice box which is substantially braced by the corner braces 2 extending throughout the length of the sluice box and on either side thereof, and so placed as to provide a channel 3 between the braces.

The upper or inner surfaces of the corner braces are curved at 4 to conform to the radius of the griddle, to be hereinafter explained, and supports the false bOtt0m..

This false bottom 5 may be of any suitable material having an exceedingly fine mesh, preference is given, however, to a material having a woven structure.

Riifies 6 rest upon the false bottom and are suitably and removably fastened thereto, or through the false bottom to the corner braces 2, and may extend partly up the sides of the sluice box; the height to which they extend being determined by the volume of matter passing through the machine, and by the volume of water available where Water is used.

The riffles are preferably spaced uniformly and are curved to conform to the curvature of the false bottom and corner braces, with the inner edge concentric with the outer edge.

A drum 7 is revolubly mounted on the sluice box 1 and a spiral griddle 8, formed preferably f radially d p s d r circles the drum. This griddle 8 while preferably composed of rods, may be composed of any suitable material, such, for instance, as expanded metal and the like, it being essential however that a griddle be formed therewith whose interstices are relatively small; about inch in width being preferred.

That part of the griddle operatingover the curved rifiles 6 is recessed at 9 to accommodatethe riffie, thus bringing the edge of the griddle in close proximity with the false bottom 5 and the riflie 6 withoutdestroylng the uniformity of the griddle 8. I

use a spiral griddle as this formgives, a continuous screenmg to the mass and tends to any suitable source is supplied to the griddle.

The gravel is then fed in one end of the machine and while great success may be obtained without the use of water, water where available is advised and when ugedis fed into the machine with the gravel: the griddle now acts as a continuous screen and a conveyer, forcing the waste material to the outlet and screening as it moves resulting in the concentrates being left in the bottom being retained by the riffies.

As above mentioned the false bottom 5 is of a woven structure; as water will percolate through the false bottom, carrying the exceptionally fine particles with it, provision is left between the corner braces 2 for a channel 3 through which the percolations may pass to the outlet end where they may be caught by any suitable means. As the feature is used only in rare cases where the gold is of the fineness of flour and where water is available, and as any means may be employed for collecting the concentrates the specific means used for not be shown in the drawings.

Since a light current of water will carry off fine gold, provision must therefore be made to break up any current as it passes through the machine. This is accomplished by the griddle in conjunction with the riffles: as the current of water flows through the sluice box the griddle being made up of small or narrow interstices, chops or combs the water, changing the direction of flow of part of the water so that it with the lighter sand a d g el low o r the sup an 9f e such collections will rifiles, 'While the balzince of Water...With the,

black sand and gold flowsgweiust,thes riffies which completes the biakmgupbf the cur rent.

The Water now together with the eohcen;

,tr ateshassueh a lowsyelocity that, the con "Zi'entfatslll to t b j suriportl ng members, said supportiug fl meri bers extending longitudinally anzr'contmuousl of'the sluice box on either -s-'1 de;,. t l1ere0f, a channel beneath said false ,boottom, curved rlfiles Within and, resting 40 upon sald. false bottom, and ,a .reyolvuig griddle i ei olubly mounted on the sluiee'b ox against the rililes frOn-1'5-lti l ii1ceiuthey are subw i andm emtingwithin the false bottom sequently recovered. During this aetion any In :el'ailing upytherifilesar Y l the} concentrates are gathered in any conienieriq' menuer afte vhieh the rifilesere -i-'etuimed to iilsvce and the operattiofiresumed. If desired a. go per plate eoated wi th qu icksili'rermay be 'added to the false bottoni or at the outlet end thepkfitd catch m Waste gold lzmlthoi'igh I re' peated {trials -have show rl this; to be unne ees'sary,

::-E' Havi escribed' my inirention; I cleuin" '5 [2H1 n: separato Y sluice bOX,

W upon said false bottom, and aprevblviiig' g1 iddle -revolubly mounted upori the sluice i end operating? Witl i bo -t0m, s,'id gridd1e l aying a portion shortj- 'ei'ied to egi'ster with rid rateala'ovethe l inn" *1 ff Iii" for separate 9 sluice box a p ur've'd falsei bottomwvithiri the $1; ee b'ex sit-i fal e hottonr beiiig positioi ed the curvechfalse- 3. In an ore separator, asluice box, a

pervious eurvedb fal'se bottoin withih the "sluice box, saidffalse bottom hem ositlol ed 'eoeur' zitely by s upportin g n'iem'b'ei szud sup portii' 'gf members extending loiigi tudi ally "and i continuously 0 1": the 'sluieegbox; HR 011 r-eitlrer side thereofgfs'aid supportiiig' members 5 0 for'mi with 'the botgtom of th sh e" 150K I channel, said oh anriel beneath: the sa false "bottom and extendinglongitudinally:thereoflpriflleis w'ithin aiid resti'ng jupo'n the stt-id T {*fal's'e bottom ethd 'gt revolving griddle 1- 'ounted on the' sl uiee bozi rbpemung Within' t'he f lse bottom. an oiegis'epar zttor; {i11 Coin 1th 2t 'eu-1' Ved sluice box," h" our'vetW rifiles a gr idd lerevolubly fofljthe e0 sluice box, said griddle being'of'tlfnifitui e sp Filly disposed aIid r2tdial1y exte din'g te "t'h jowti ie shaft, interstices .hetweerifithe teet to pass nothin 'gf-leirger th a sand;

' ti-en ol said teeth shorteiied regite t) With and operate above'r said riflie In testimony ed for five: icents eeh, iby

' Waishington, D; 

